The Decision of Hades

Hades paced back and forth in his room, deep in contemplation. What was he going to do about Persephone? She invaded his thoughts all the time and it was driving him crazy. She smiled at him from inside his mind and made him wish he could be where she was. But as usual, his label as God of the Underworld held him back. It was amazing how much he doubted his abilities. One would think that being a god with so much power would be enough to boost one’s confidence. But whoever thought that was sadly mistaken.

As a young boy, Hades was not one to flirt with the ladies like his brother Zeus. He was a quiet, introverted god who focused on subjects that would be beneficial to him. These subjects consisted of learning about the complexities of Death and how his role as God of the Underworld greatly impacted the dead souls that would visit him. He was studious and he seemed to enjoy learning. In his free time he would go into the forest on Earth and study all the living things he encountered. He kept a notebook made of papyrus of all the animals and plants he studied. These were very detailed and sometimes long. He even added questions he had that maybe someday might be answered.

This devotion continued into his adult years. He took his job very seriously. Each time he visited his brother on Mt. Olympus he scoffed at the lack of hard work Zeus put in. All he ever did was party and throw big festivals. Poseidon he didn’t have to worry about. He did his job and was easier to cooperate with. The two understood each other’s grief when it concerned Zeus. But Poseidon was more willing to try and calm his brother down than Hades. He had given up long ago.

But now, Hades was in a dilemma in which he had no method of dealing with it. Since he had no experience with women, he was in a bind. He didn’t do that smooth talking that made girls swoon and he wasn’t a charmer. He never thought that was necessary. And he didn’t want to ask anyone because then they would find out. The last thing he needed was all of Olympus knowing that the Mighty God of the Underworld had his heart stolen by Demeter’s lovely daughter. He would never live that down. On top of that, Demeter would be furious with him. He already recognized that after the events the night before. She had glared at him with such strength that it was obvious her intent was, “I’ll kill you if you even think about touching her.” The best option for him was to somehow get Persephone to feel the same way about him. It seemed to be starting, considering she had tried to properly say goodbye but was once again taken away from the window by her mother.

Hades sighed and scratched his head in frustration. He went through every person he could think of to ask for help but they all seemed untrustworthy to keep his secret, even his parents. This wasn’t going well at all. Was there really no one who would be sympathetic and willing to help him with his predicament? Then someone came to mind. He knew them very well and they would probably cooperate without embarrassing him. He’d figured out exactly whom he was going to talk to. His brother, Poseidon.